Like a Dream
by GreyCatsidhe
Summary: Sasuke finally returns to Konoha, but it's not as dreamlike as Sakura had hoped. Or is it?


Like a Dream

by Grey Catsidhe

Summary: Sasuke finally returns to Konoha, but it's not as dreamlike as Sakura had hoped. Or is it?

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, settings, or plot of Naruto. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. This story was written for amusement only, and I am not making any money from it.

It had been a trying day at the hospital. With the upcoming _chūnin_ exam, _genin_ were overexerting themselves on the training grounds. Sakura couldn't help but grin as she recalled two overzealous teammates wearing themselves to exhaustion as they practiced chakra control. She opened her apartment door, kicked off her shoes, and hung her lab coat with a sigh.

 _I wonder where Sasuke is now?_ Sakura wondered for the hundredth time that week.

It had been a month since anyone had heard from him. In fact, she realized, the last communication came during Naruto's wedding. Sakura blushed as she recalled Sasuke's majestic hawk coming right to _her_. The message had been so simple, so elegant, so… typical of him. She wouldn't have expected anything different, but more details about his whereabouts and why he wasn't at the reception himself would have been nice. Still, knowing he was near and that he had entrusted the wedding message to her had been something.

She turned on the small lamp by her couch and shut the curtains. After spending all day under bright, fluorescent lights, it was nice to enjoy the warm glow of her apartment in the evening. The sky was growing grim with an incoming storm. Sakura hoped the rain would keep the _genin_ inside for a day or so. _Not that it would have stopped Sasuke or Naruto_ , she realized. Unfortunately, it would probably mean more injuries to heal.

Sakura changed into some cozy white pajamas covered in her namesake flowers, and settled into her deep couch cushions with a cup of decaffeinated green tea. This was her usual ritual to settle down for the evening. She opened a text she'd been reading, placing the pink bookmark to the side. It was a tome of ethnobotany from _Kumogakure._ Now that the various nations were peaceful allies, there was more information for her to study and use in her medicine. This particular book was especially enjoyable as it paired scientific studies with snippets of mythology and folklore. She smiled wistfully at a blurb explaining how a particular flower from the Land of Lightning was used to in teas to promote love between inharmonious couples.

Then came the sound of a thousand pearl necklaces breaking on her roof heralding the beginning of a storm. Sakura took another sip of her tea, feeling warm and secure inside her cozy home. She looked up briefly as lightning flashed and thunder snarled in the distance. Despite the din, her apartment was calm.

Funnily enough, it was a knock on her door that caused Sakura to jump. She glanced at the clock, then back at the door, her brows furrowed.

 _Strange_ , she thought, rising. She replaced the ribbon in her book.

Walking calmly to the door, Sakura wondered if there might be some emergency. She couldn't help feeling slightly irritated as she thought of some foolhardy _genin_ stubbornly training in the storm. She wasn't prepared for the face she saw on the other side of her peephole. His pale features were turned to the side as he waited for her to answer. His hood was still up, but his dark hair, longer than she remembered, hung out, dripping water. His one dark eye was visible, his lower lid shadowed by a lack of sleep. It focused on the peephole suddenly.

"Sakura," he said loud enough to carry through the wooden barrier and the sound of pounding rain. "It's me."

Her heart rivaled the clap of thunder the came shortly after. She stepped away from the door and stared at the peephole nervously. Sasuke was back, after all this time, and she felt immobile. Her mind swirled with questions and worries. She knew he had come before, briefly, during the incident with the moon, and again when his imitator tried to kidnap her, but he never stayed. He hadn't said a word to her, so why now? Was he in trouble? Did he come to her with an injury?

There was a certain ridiculousness to the situation. Here she was, the strongest and most accomplished _kunoichi,_ and her knees felt like egg yolk. She once more furrowed her brows, only this time it was in irritation at herself. _No! I'm not that little girl anymore,_ she insisted.

With a sudden burst of confidence and purpose, she unlatched the door and stepped aside for Sasuke to enter. Thankfully, he didn't appear injured.

"I'm home," he simply said.

He removed his hood and looked at Sakura with his mismatched eyes. They were as strong and determined as she remembered, but there was also warmth, like the kind she had seen before he departed. Something else lingered in his steady gaze, something that made Sakura's stomach feel bubbly. She stared at him in near disbelief. Sasuke then did something she was not prepared for; the corners of his eyes crinkled with amusement, and he actually grinned at her!

"Sakura?" he prodded.

Her eyes widened as her name on his lips washed over her, and realization hit. He had said he was home...

"Welcome home, Sasuke-kun," she said shakily. Her arms twitched upward then paused with hesitation. She averted her eyes for a moment, but that smile of his emboldened her. Indulging in an enthusiasm she hadn't shown since girlhood, she sprang forward and wrapped her arms around him. Sasuke stiffened at first. Overt physical displays of affection were difficult for him, but he must have seen it coming, so he allowed her to remain, her face pressed against his wet chest. Her keen medic senses immediately noted how his heart rate increased, and she felt hope sprout anew in her heart - the same hope he had planted when he had affectionately touched her forehead and promised to see her soon.

That occasion was now. Sakura sighed as reality hit her. She couldn't hold him forever. He was probably very uncomfortable now, possibly even regretful to have come. Just as she was about to release him, she felt his one arm encase her. It was brief but meant the world to Sakura.

Once he released her, she stepped back to look up at his face. He seemed in good health, just soaked.

Her sense of decorum returned and she reached for his cloak. "I can hang this up for you." He shrugged out of the garment and allowed her to take it. "And you can leave your boots there," Sakura said with a nod toward her own shoes.

Sasuke complied and apologized for the late hour. "I just got back. Most of the inns were closed or… inhospitable."

Sakura frowned briefly, but that quickly transformed into a grin. "You are very welcome here!" She suddenly remembered her pajamas. "Don't mind me… I was just relaxing before bed. You have excellent timing, as usual."

Sasuke nodded, and the subtle, upward curve of his lips indicated that he anticipated the welcome.

"You must be famished!" Sakura cried. She hurried to her kitchen and opened the fridge. "I have some rice. I could make _onigiri_ if you give me a moment. I'm afraid I don't have very much… I don't often entertain."

Sasuke nodded in silent gratitude. "Sakura… may I use your restroom? I need to change."

Sakura nearly dropped the bowl as she realized she overlooked his most pressing concern. "Of course! It's right down that hall."

He vanished for awhile. Sakura busied herself forming the rounded triangles of rice in her hands. They were trembling slightly. Everything suddenly felt very surreal, as if she actually was asleep on the couch, her book neglected on the floor. The sticky rice in her hands, Sasuke's wet cloak dripping on its hook, that embrace - it had all been a cruel dream. She would wake up to her morning shift's shrill alarm, and return to her lonely reality. The bathroom sink began to run, breaking her trance. _Definitely not a dream_.

Sasuke returned to the kitchen and took a seat at her small table. Sakura brought him two _onigiri_ on a plate, and took the opposite seat. Her guest started to eat, seeming content. He now wore only a gray t-shirt and black shorts. _Pajamas_ , Sakura realized. Some of her day dreams did begin this way... Her lips pursed in silent amusement.

"W-would you like something to drink?" she croaked, once more remembering all the things a good host should offer. Whenever Naruto came over, he helped himself, and served Hinata while he was at it. Sai and Ino did the same. "I could put the kettle on or…"

"Water is fine," he murmured after swallowing some of the rice.

She got him a glass and returned to her seat, watching. He practically inhaled the food placed before him, and despite how rain soaked he had been, he gulped the water down as if he had been wandering in the Land of Wind before knocking on her door.

"So… are you okay?" Sakura finally ventured. Although Sasuke didn't exhibit any injuries, Sakura knew that some wounds weren't visible. She had learned much as she worked to start the clinic for children's mental health.

Sasuke gave her one of his typical affirmative grunts. His mouth opened, a thought poised to emerge, but his teeth clamped shut and he stared at her table for a moment.

The rain had calmed to a meditative dripping.

"Oh...well, that's good," Sakura said softly, her eyes also lowering. "So...how were your travels?"

"Productive," was all he said. He glanced up briefly. She almost thought he was shy. _But no, that wouldn't be like Sasuke at all._

"Ah. Good…," Sakura nodded, trailing off.

"How are you, Sakura?" he asked at last.

She raised her head, mildly surprised at his question. In the past, he wouldn't have asked. He was either too occupied with training, vengeance, and his own pain, or he simply knew she would tell him when she was ready. Sakura had been fond of filling their downtime with chatter as a girl.

Now Sasuke asked on her well being and she felt a bit tongue tied. What should she tell him? That she had been so very lonely without him? That waiting was exhausting and she filled her existence with the hospital to distract herself from his absence? That she was deeply happy for all of their friends as they fell in love and settled down while she was standing alone at wedding receptions? A tiny fist of anger threatened to form in her lap, but she sighed and let it go, reminding herself that Sasuke had to go on his journey of redemption. She would always support him no matter how hard it was.

"I'm fine, just really busy and exhausted from work," she said.

"I heard about the clinic," Sasuke started tentatively. "Konoha needed that."

Sakura brightened at his compliment. With a smile, she stood and took his plate. "I think it's been successful. I've been working with other villages to spread the model."

She looked back at him as she prepared to place the plate in the sink, but hit the counter instead. The plate shattered, partly in the sink and on the floor. Sasuke was up and by her side instantly.

"Are you okay?"

The young woman blushed and put a hand to her face. "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry… Yes. Just very tired and, to be honest, in a bit of a daze since you arrived." Her blush deepened and she stooped down to pick up the fragments. "I should have been paying attention."

Sasuke used his remaining arm to pluck the pieces from the sink. "It is late. You should rest."

Sakura nodded, studying his own weary expression. "You too. Traveling must have been exhausting."

"Hn," he agreed.

She looked toward her couch. It was comfortable, but not long enough for the returned wanderer. "You can sleep in my bed, Sasuke-kun. I'll be fine on the couch. I bet you could use a night on a comfy mattress."

"No, I will take the couch. I'll be fine."

"Oh… okay. If you're sure. But it is awfully-"

"Sakura, it's fine," he interjected.

Sakura nodded meekly. If he were anyone else, from a civilian patient to the Hokage himself, she would have made a fist, stomped her foot, and insisted with a determined "Shannaro!"

"Well, let me at least get you a blanket and an extra pillow." As she puttered about her room, she continued to talk, urging herself onward. The awkwardness between them was painful. If that seedling of hope was ever to fully bloom, she'd have to force herself through this phase of their reunion. "It's a good thing I washed all this bedding last week. You know, Sasuke-kun, there's a washer and dryer in the basement of this apartment building. I'll leave you my spare key so you can use it. If you go after I leave for work in the morning, you'll almost surely beat the other tenants. They are such night owls; they only seem to do their laundry late, and sometimes they have noisy arguments because they all seem to be on the same schedule. It's really annoying, but also funny as long as I've had enough sleep. Anyway, I'm sure you'd like to clean some of your clothes. If...if you don't mind, would you please take my basket down with you? It would save me a lot of time. That is, if it's not inconvenient for you." She reappeared with a thin quilt, perfect for cool summer nights, a sheet, and a pillow.

Sasuke was already sitting in the middle of the couch, leaning back into the comfortable cushions. Sakura set the blankets and pillow to his left, nervously waiting for his reply. He merely nodded in agreement to her request.

Sakura excused herself to prepare for bed. When she emerged from the bathroom, teeth brushed and hair in a ponytail, she approached Sasuke one last time. He had arranged the couch to his liking, removing some of the excess cushions. He was perusing the herbal book Sakura had been reading before his arrival. His hostess leaned in, causing him to look up. He hummed curiously.

"So… are you okay for the night? Do you need anything else?"

"No. This is good."

She straightened up, sighed, and turned to her room with a soft, "Goodnight, Sasuke-kun." A swarm of questions buzzed in her mind, but he was elusive as ever. She decided this wasn't turning out the way it had in her dreams. When she fantasized about Sasuke's return to Konoha, to her, it was never complicated by such awkwardness.

The _kunoichi_ was just about to close her door for the night when Sasuke's deep voice halted her. "Thank you, Sakura."

She peered out at him through her bedroom door and saw the bags under his earnest eyes and the slump of his shoulders. For now, his proximity and gratitude were enough. There would be time for questions after they rested.

Sakura brightened. She felt that giddy feeling return, and a grin blossomed on her face. "Of course, Sasuke-kun!" Then her voice fell to an almost whisper. "I'm really happy you're back."

She shut her bedroom door, but not before she saw him lean into his pillow, close his eyes, and smile.


End file.
